Trials
by Sally White
Summary: One man trying to be a hero. One girl who needs a hero. When these two meet, they will never expect their relationship to have so many...Trials. AU storyline. AmeBel
1. Trial 1: The Girl

Hello, again! ^^ Sally White here, bringing you another story based off of an RP. This one is with an Alfred, with me writing for Natalya again. This story is another AU storyline RP, but it's a modern day setting. This one does deal with some sensitive topics, like abuse, so if that offends you then please leave now…or forever hold your peace. Haha, I couldn't resist. Once again, if you have any questions about the story please feel free to message me and we can talk about it. Anyways, enough with the introductions, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any other references used in this story.

Dedication: This one goes out to my other RP partner. Without her, I would have never come to like AmeBel. ^^

**Trials**

**By: Sally White**

**Trial 1: The Girl **

Alfred F. Jones was a young police officer who had moved to a nice city after being transferred. At twenty two years old, he acted like he was twelve, a pure child at heart. He had seen the worst that every city had to offer, yet he was still able to look on the brighter side of life. He had helped many people and therefore considered himself a hero.

Moving to a new city hadn't been too hard on him, especially since he didn't have a family to worry about uprooting. He had saved enough money to buy a house, a small condo that had not been lived in for years. It was a nice condo and had been taken care of by the owners, but he had no idea the surprise he would get upon first moving in.

As he prepared to go to bed for the night, he heard a small tap at the window. Thinking it to be just a crack, he continued on with getting ready, pulling on his nightshirt. However, the tapping came again and, curious, he went to the window. To his surprise, he saw a young woman on the other side who looked like she wanted in. What was she doing outside in the cold, and why was she at his house? He opened the window nevertheless, to let the woman in.

Natalya was young, beautiful, and very very tired. She lived with a strict Russian family whose idea of punishment for small things was to slap you across the face or punch you in the stomach to teach you a lesson. In their culture, it was called scolding. In this culture, however, it was abuse. After living in America for the past five years, she had come to realize this, but with no income and no husband, there was just no way for her to escape.

Natalya's only escape was during the night, when she would sneak out of the big house to walk three blocks away to the condo complex building and slip into one of the empty rooms to have a place to rest and spend the night in peace and quiet. She was doing this tonight, in fact. But something was different about tonight. There was a man in the room that she usually slept in. Nevertheless, she decided to take her chances with this one, and knocked on the window. She was thrilled when he opened it, though she didn't show it externally. She came in and just walked over to the bed and laid down on it, her tired and bruised body sinking gratefully into the mattress.

Alfred looked at the woman in a huge amount of surprise. Normally, he would have made a joke about how this was "his lucky night," but the woman seemed tired, and in the light of his lamp, Alfred saw a few bruises on her body, which made him worry. He opened his mouth to speak, but lost his words when she just walked right by him and laid down in his bed.

"Hey," Alfred said, going over to her. He said it kindly, though, not wanting to scare her. He was just confused. It didn't take too long for him to realize that she was probably hurt in some way. "Hey, can I get you anything?" he asked, deciding against asking who she was and why she was there.

Natalya lifted herself up onto her elbows, studying the man. He seemed like a genuine sort, trustworthy even. Maybe. But, then again, hadn't being with her family taught her to be cautious around men? Because no matter how nice they may seem, there's always the chance that it's just a facade and that they would use that against you in the future. Still...it wasn't like she would ever see him again, right?

"Nyet, spasiba," she responded softly in Russian, though she knew almost immediately that that was a mistake, because it wasn't as if there was a large number of Russians in the community, right? Then again, maybe he didn't know the language at all and just wouldn't understand her. This thought relaxed her, and she flopped back onto the bed.

Alfred was confused by the Russian, but he was a little glad she had spoken. There was a mainly Russian community nearby, so Alfred probably shouldn't have been as surprised to hear someone speak something that wasn't English. However, though he didn't know what "spasiba" meant, he was able to pick out that "nyet" meant no.

"Alright," he said with a weak smile as he grabbed some more blanket. "I'll just be down the hall in the living room if you need me," he told her and left the room. He was confused, but he was also glad that he would be able to help this woman in some way. He just wished he knew what exactly was wrong.

Natalya watched as he left, a little surprised by his reaction. Not many would just walk away like she wanted them to. Most would keep bugging her until she either got mad and yelled, or just left. But this man...this man was actually going to leave her alone. She felt her heart swell with gratefulness. "Spasiba," she whispered her thanks after he had left, then curled up on the bed, pulling the blankets over her head. Only then did she allow herself to cry.

It had been a very bad day. Ivan, her brother, had come home very drunk and demanded to know why she wouldn't marry him. When she tried to explain, he had just started to kick and hit her, cursing at her and calling her an endless number of names. By now, she had learned not to fight back and just take it, but it still hurt her every time he did it... She bit her lip to hold in the noises though she was unable to stop her tears.

Alfred went to the living room and sat on the couch, still a bit confused. Part of him couldn't believe that there was another person in his home... That there was a woman in his bed. That she was hurt for some reason and Alfred wasn't really able to ask why. He could have, but he didn't want to make her mad or upset, and judging by the way she had been acting, he wouldn't get very far with the question anyway.

He decided to just go to bed on the couch and ask questions in the morning if she would answer them. He sighed, closing his eyes as he fell asleep. Maybe he was imagining it all... Maybe he was drunk. Then again, he didn't drink, so that was unlikely. Maybe this was all a dream... Yes, he would go with that, if only to save him the headache of figuring everything out.

Natalya actually slept relatively well that night. The usual nightmares that usually plagued her dreams stayed away. She wondered why... Maybe it was because of the peaceful atmosphere? Maybe it was the soft bed? Or...was it because she felt safe in this place, in this man's home? She quickly shook that notion away, calling herself ridiculous for even thinking it.

She had woken up just after the sun had risen in the sky. She quickly got up and made the bed, then poked her head into the room where the man was. He was still asleep, snoring softly on his couch. She couldn't help but smile gently at him. He seemed like such a kind soul. She didn't want to leave him without some sort of thanks...but she knew that she had to get back home before her family realized that she was gone. She quickly escaped out the window and started towards her home, the strange man still on her mind. She realized that she didn't even know his name...

Alfred awoke just an hour after the woman had left. He opened his eyes and blinked in confusion when he found himself on the couch. What in the world was he doing here? Sure, his couch was pretty comfortable, and he had bought it with the intention of falling asleep on the couch during late night video game competitions, but if he had the opportunity, he would much rather sleep in his bed. It was then that the events of the previous night dawned on him and he got up, heading to the bedroom only to find the bed empty, but made. Had it all been a dream?

He decided that it must have been and went about his day as normal. He showered, dressed, and went to work as usual. He was assigned to the desk for the day, so he spent the majority of his time playing around on his phone. That night he went home, ate, and started to get ready for bed after playing his usual few hours of video games.

Natalya stumbled down the street, holding her head where a huge cut was practically pouring blood just below her hairline. She winced as she tried to walk. Ivan had been drunk again. But this time...it had been so much worse than any other time. He had thrown her out a window...And, oh! She was in so much pain! She tore off a strip from her dress and wrapped it tight around her head. She knew that she couldn't stay at her house tonight. She decided to go visit the stranger from the night before again.

She reached the place and climbed up the fire escape to his room. Once she was there, she knocked on the window, hoping and praying that he was still awake. She had already decided to just sleep on the fire escape if he wasn't.

Alfred had just thrown on his shirt and finished changing when he heard the knock at the window. He looked over and his eyes widened when he saw the state that the woman was in. He could see blood and knew that something was wrong.

"Hey!" Alfred said as he helped her in and sat her down on the bed. "You look awful," Alfred mumbled as he looked over the bruises and cuts, until his eyes landed on the fabric that covered the gash on her head. "Wait here," he said and left, coming back a few seconds later with his first aid kit. "I'll clean it right up, don't worry," he said. "If you'll let me."

Natalya nodded, her head whirling as she struggled to stay awake. Gosh, but her head hurt. And she felt so tired... But that was just from the blood loss, she knew. When he started to clean her wound, she winced, blinking back the tears that filled her eyes. But she was grateful. Oh, she was so grateful.

"Spasiba," she thanked him quietly, then quickly added, "That means 'thank you' in Russian." She gave him a small smile, her first in many many months. And she was glad that he was able to get her to smile, even if it was from his ignorance.

Alfred started to clean the wound with alcohol, hating how it made the woman tear up. He knew it was hurting her, but there was nothing else he could do. It would only be worse if it got infected. So, he continued to clean it and placed a bandage over it. "You're welcome," he said when she told him what she meant.

He smiled weakly at the woman and sighed as he brushed the hair away from the bandage. "There. All set now. Do you want anything?" he asked. "Or do you just wanna go to sleep? Cause I can get you anything you need."

Natalya thought about it for a moment and was about to object, when her stomach let out a really loud rumble. Her face went scarlet when it did, and she cursed at it in Russian. She hadn't eaten all day. Actually, if she was honest with herself, she hadn't eaten properly in about three days. She was too skinny and she knew this. But she was too afraid to leave her room most days to risk going downstairs to get food...

She glanced up at the man and tried to object, "Nyet, I don't need anything..."

Alfred heard her stomach growl and looked down before looking back up at her with a smile. "I'll go make you something quick okay? Try not to fall asleep on me." He smiled gently at her and went downstairs, coming back a couple minutes later with a sandwich and some milk. He could tell she was way too thin and boney, and that she needed something in her stomach.

"Here, eat up," he said, setting the plate on her lap. "It's all yours."

Natalya stared at the food, then looked up at the man with disbelief in her eyes. "This...can I really have it?" she asked meekly. She glanced back at the food then at the man again. "ALL of it? ALL of it...is for me? Really?" Her dark blue eyes were wide, still with disbelief...but also with some gratefulness. She couldn't believe it! This stranger whose home she had invaded last night...was giving her food for free? It was hard for her to take in.

She slowly started to pick up the sandwich and raised it to her mouth. She looked at the man again for confirmation, then began to devour the sandwich. She almost cried. Oh! It was so good! She drank the milk in between hungry gulps.

Alfred was completely surprised by her reaction. He had expected another thank you, but the woman seemed to come alive at the sight of food. "Well, yeah! Of course it's all for you." Alfred laughed some and nodded again to her similar questions. "I didn't make it for myself. It's all yours." It was then that he realized it had been much longer than just one day that she had gone without eating. It had been a while.

He placed a hand on her back and gently rubbed it, worried by how quickly she was chugging everything down. Even Alfred didn't eat that fast, and he was a pretty fast eater. "Hey, relax. I ain't gonna take it from ya."

Natalya froze when he touched her, cowering under his hand, her eyes shut tight. Her body trembled, but somehow remained stiff at the same time. She did her best not to squish or drop the sandwich in her hands. After all, she hated it when food went to waste. But...she couldn't help her fright. It was just a natural reaction for her now.

"Pratsi...pratsi!" she begged in Russian, her voice practically a whimper. She was so terrified...she didn't know what to do, or what she had done to deserve a beating this time around...

Alfred jumped back when he noticed her cower and realized that was not something he should have done. Yet again, her whole mood had changed in a flash, from half asleep, to lively, and now she was cowering in fear... because of him.

"I'm sorry," Alfred said, moving away from her and holding his hands out in a peace offering sort of way. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that... that you were scared. You're safe here, and I'm a good dude. I won't hurt you."

Natalya stared up at the man. He...wasn't going to hurt her? Then she almost hit herself. Of course he wasn't going to hurt her! He had offered her shelter, and he had fed her! She had probably hurt his feelings just now. She looked down, her bangs hiding her eyes.

"I am sorry," she said softly. "It's just...a natural reaction. I cannot stop it. I know that you will not hurt me. I just..." She sniffled, then tried to disguise it by coughing. "Nothing, never mind." She reached up to rub her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to stop her tears.

"No, it's fine. I should have realized," he said gently. "I understand." Really, he didn't. What in the world was this poor woman going through that made her so afraid of human contact? Why was she so scared, and so quick to believe that people were out to hurt her?

"Hey, don't cry," Alfred said gently, but stopped himself before he moved to touch her. He didn't want to scare her again. "You can tell me anything, or nothing at all. It's all good." He smiled a bit. "Like I said, you're safe here."

Natalya looked up at the man. Oh, he was so sweet! She wanted to tell him everything, suddenly. She wanted someone to confide in. She wanted...she wanted a friend. She wanted someone like this man, to shelter her, to feed her...to take care of her. She wanted to be taken care of, to be taken away from that dreadful household she was forced to call a home. But it was not a home. For home wasn't a place that you dreaded having to live.

She wiped her tears away, trying to give him a smile, but it only came in half way. "Well, I would like to know your name," she said softly. Yes, she wanted to know the name of this man, this hero. Her hero.

Alfred had a feeling she wouldn't just stop and start spilling everything, but he had no idea how happy just saying that had made her. He smiled when she requested to know his name. "I'm Alfred. Alfred F. Jones. I only moved in here a few days ago. I'm a police officer down at the station on Main Street. And what about you? What's your name?"

He was curious about that. Who was this girl? Where did she live? And most importantly, why did she come to his house? Who in the world was she escaping from?

"I am Natalya Arlovskaya," she introduced herself, feeling proud of her title. "I am originally from Belarus, but I was adopted by a Russian family, the Braginsky's, when I was just three years old. They took me in, raised me, gave me shelter and clothes and food..." She stopped, almost starting to cry. Oh, for those day to come back and be real again! It had been so long ago...

She continued. "We moved to America when I was sixteen. I have lived in this city ever since. We live in the big house on the hill about three blocks south of his complex," she told him, pointing in that direction. Her eyes darkened when she thought about that house. For that was all it was to her, a house. It was not a home...it would never be a home...

Alfred nodded, listening to her tale. Everything seemed so nice and peaceful... Why did she come here every night. But, he kept his questions to himself. He didn't want to scare her or make her not want to talk to him. So, he just listened and nodded to what she said, deciding to leave her questions till later.

He looked off in the direction of the house she lived in and nodded some. "Oh, I know where that is." He smiled at her. "It's a real nice home. I pass it on my way to work every day."

Natalya stiffened at his words. "Da...nice," she muttered, then began to eat the rest of her sandwich to keep back the mean, nasty words building in her throat. She didn't want the man - Alfred - to think badly of her, and surely talking bad about her adoptive family would not make the best first impression.

She finished the sandwich and drank the rest of her milk. She looked longingly at the plate. She wanted more...but she felt as though she had no right to ask for more food. After all, she had already invaded his home. She didn't need to be eating his food, too. "Spasiba for the food, Alfred," she told him softly, giving him a small smile. She reached out her hand to him, meaning to shake.

Alfred glanced over at her when he noticed she mumbled out the word "nice." Something told him that the "home" was not so nice. That there was something going on there. But, he didn't know for sure and it would be rude to ask, so he decided to just let the conversation sit there.

He looked at her as she glanced down at the plate. He could tell she wanted more, but he wasn't sure if he was right on that or not. "Do you want another sandwich?" he asked her before smiling and shaking her hand. "You're welcome. You can have as much as you want!"

"Nyet!" Natalya protested. "I cannot ask that of you! It is rude!" Just then her stomach growled again, and she cursed at it out loud in Russian, telling it to shut up. Her face was red. She was so embarrassed! Her stupid stomach! Why did it have to compromise her every time?

"Pazhalsta, don't feel obligated to give me food," she told Alfred, trying to be sweet and sincere about it. "You do not have to, really. I will be okay." she tried to give him a brave smile, but it came out more forced than anything.

Alfred chuckled a little when her stomach betrayed her and smiled gently. "Hey, relax," he said with a soft smile as he stood up. "I want to give you more food. You're hungry and I have a whole kitchen full of stuff. Lemme go make you another sandwich," he offered and left before she could object.

He came back with yet another sandwich and another glass of milk and handed them both to her. "Here we are. And there's plenty more where that came from. Don't be afraid to ask, please," he said with a kind smile.

Natalya gave Alfred her first genuine smile she had smiled in a long time. "Spasiba, friend," she said softly, taking the plate and milk from him. She began to eat, slower this time, chewing each bite slowly so as to fully enjoy it. And enjoy it she did. She felt like a princess, with all this food. Oh, when was the last time she had had a sandwich? She honestly couldn't remember. It had been so long since she had had a proper meal...

As she ate, she studied the man before her. Blonde hair, lovely eyes, and a winning smile to match. He sure was handsome. She was suddenly curious. "Are you married?" she asked in between bites.

Alfred smiled at her words. Friend... That felt so nice. Of course, he had friends. He had coworkers who were his friends, and old college buddies that he kept in contact with. He had his parents and a few friends from high school and other people that he kept in contact on social networking sites. But to be called a friend by this woman was, well... Nice. He liked being her friend.

He shook his head with a small laugh. "Nah, I'm not." He smiled. "Are you?" he asked.

Natalya shook her head, suddenly feeling sad again. "Nyet. I am not married." She sighed. "And I will probably never be married." She looked down at the plate. The thought truly saddened her. She wanted to get married, have children, have a family of her own. A family that didn't live off of hurting one another and calling each other names... She wrapped her arms around herself.

She looked up to see Alfred staring at her with wide eyes. She tilted her head to the side. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing." Alfred laughed and smiled gently at her, shaking his head. "What do you mean? You're pretty and you seem really nice. Of course you'll get married someday."

Like her, he wanted to have a family someday, but his reasons were a little different. He had a nice home and a family who treated him kindly, so he wanted to share that with someone else. He also adored kids. He had dated in college and high school, but never found anyone worth his time.

Natalya looked down at her lap, where her hands were clenched into fists. "Brother says that I'm not pretty. He says that I'm a horrible person. He says that I am ugly and mean and fat, and that no man will ever want to marry me." She clenched her fists tighter, her nails digging into her skin. Dare she tell him all of this? Dare she tell him...that most of her starvation was actually intentional? That she did it not only out of fear...but because she wanted her family to think that she was pretty.

"Brother says that the only person who will ever want to marry me is him," she sniffled. "He tells me this every day, and he w-wants me to m-marry him..." She had to stop there. She had said too much already.

Alfred looked at her in disbelief. He had gone to college and high school and knew girls that always said they weren't pretty. And, they were, but they wouldn't admit it. It was no big deal, though. They eventually got over it and went about their lives, but Natalya seemed to honestly believe it.

"I think you're really pretty," Alfred said. "And you're not fat at all. You're actually way too thin. You seem like a really nice person and I know you'll find someone someday who'll treat you a lot better than your brother does. There's gotta be a lotta guys out there who would be really lucky to have you for a girlfriend or wife."

Natalya shook her head. "Nyet. There are none. No boy ever approaches me with that intent. They all just...walk away." She had started crying again, and she raised her hands to try to wipe her tears away. "N-no one ever wants me. N-no one ever has! And even if they did, brother would just chase them away! He won't let anyone else have me!" She stared at Alfred with wide, frightened eyes. "I have watched him beat up a boy with a pipe before just for looking at me!"

She continued to sniffle and tear, trying to control herself again. "D-damn it," she cursed, trying desperately to wipe her tears away. "I am so weak. No wonder they don't like me..."

Alfred looked at her and bit his lip, trying to will himself not to touch her. He didn't want to scare her, but he wanted to comfort her. No girl should ever feel this unloved. Heck, no person in general should ever feel like this.

He decided to gently touch her hand, but only touch it light enough to he could pull it away if need be. "That's stupid. If you like someone, you deserve to be with them. Your bro isn't protecting you, he's hurting you, and you need to have the chance to be your own person without him."

"I cannot get away from them," she confessed to him. "They will not let me. If I do, Ivan will hunt me down and hurt me worse than he already does!" She quickly slapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes widening with horror. Oh no. She had not just told him that. She quickly looked away. "You did not hear that. I did not tell you that. Pazhalsta, just forget everything that you just heard."

She fiddled with a lock of her hair, her hands trembling. She was so stupid! How could she have told him that? The one thing that she had vowed never to tell anyone. Now Alfred was in danger, too.

Alfred looked at her with wide eyes and frowned. So it was the brother. Honestly, if she hadn't told him that, he would have figured it out after a few more moments of quiet reflection. "Natalya.. I'm so sorry," he said softly, squeezing her hand.

"I can't forget what you told me, but I can try to help. We can then your brother into the police and get some justice served," he said a bit hopefully. "He won't be able to hurt you anymore."

"Nyet!" Natalya shouted, grabbing both of his hands in her hand. She looked into his eyes desperately. "You cannot! The Braginsky family has a big influence with the Russian mafia! They would find you, and they would kill you! Alfred, I do not want you to get hurt because of me," she begged him, squeezing his hands in her's.

She was being sincere with every word she was saying. She didn't want her first friend in...ever...to get hurt because of her stupidity. "Please, Alfred...I-I deserve it. I am too weak to protect myself from Ivan. Pazhalsta, my friend...I do not want him to hurt you, too..."

"Hey, hey." Alfred smiled gently. "I'm a cop, and it's a little known fact, but I'm also a hero. I'm sure I'd be fine, you're in a tight spot right now, but I'll help you. I don't want you getting any more hurt than you've already been, it's not fair, and I don't want a girl as pretty as you to get so hurt again."

He squeezed her hands and smiled. "I won't get hurt, I promise. And if I do, if it means helping you, then I'm all for it."

Natalya stared at him. A hero, huh? Well, he was certainly her hero. She smiled softly at him, a real smile, not one of her usual strained smiles. He was so kind...so very, very kind. She wanted him to help her, she really did. She...wanted him to save her...like the hero he was. But she couldn't let him. She couldn't let him get hurt.

She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting with herself on something. Finally she decided. She moved quickly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in his neck. "Pazhalsta...just hug me," she whispered, fighting against her instinctual panic that was rising inside of her. She trusted this man, and she wanted to show that to him right now.

Alfred didn't let her ask twice-he barely let her ask at all. He had already wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. He wanted to be her friend and help her out. He wanted to take care of her and make her know she mattered.

"I think you should rest," Alfred said, smiling at her. "Unless, you're still hungry." He laughed.

"In which case you should eat a little more before going to bed. But you do need some sleep."

Natalya laughed, her first real true laugh in a long time. She liked this man, she decided. She liked Alfred. And she was going to protect him at all costs. Even from Ivan. Alfred was too jolly, too sweet for her to let someone as horrible and cruel as her brother get to him. But she would push those thoughts away for now.

"Da, food sounds nice," she admitted, letting go of him with a light blush. She smiled at him, feeling at ease and feeling safe. "What do you suggest for me to eat before I sleep?"

Alfred felt happy, listening to her laugh and watching her smile. He could tell that she didn't laugh and smile as much as a girl like her ought to, and he was going to try to change that. He was going to make her smile and be happy. He was going to help her. Being a friend to her was the most important job he had now.

"Hmm... I have some chocolate cake in the fridge. Want a piece?" he asked with a laugh. "I mean, I've also got sandwiches, but why not have something chocolate and delicious!"

Natalya's eyes shone at the mention of chocolate. "Really? You would let me have chocolate?" She smiled, a big beautiful smile that hadn't seen the light of day in many, many years. She giggled, feeling like a school girl. "I haven't had chocolate in...goodness, five or six years!" Back when things had still been good with the family...she didn't herself think about that right now.

She stood up, almost bouncing in excitement. "I can really have it? Pazhalsta!" she asked in a voice that was cuter than she realized. She was...happy, she realized. It was like she had left hell and walked straight into heaven. She was still giggling. Giggling. She hadn't giggled in so long.

"Six years?" Alfred asked in disbelief and chuckled some. "How can you go six years with no chocolate?" he asked and then smiled with a nod. "Of course you can have some! It'd be a crime to deprive a girl chocolate when she hasn't had any in so long. Come on, I'll cut you a slice or two!"

He held out his hand to her and smiled. He was happy that she had come to him, happy that she had picked this window. Happy that he could help her and be a hero like he always claimed to be. He was going to help her. He was going to be a friend. He had many friends, but no friendship was ever as important as this one.

**To Be Continued…**

Nyet = no

Spasiba = thank you

Pratsi = sorry

Da = yes

Pazhalsta = please

Well, that's it for the first installment. I'm just gonna warn you guys now, this RP is LONG. And it's still going. So I may have to make this into a series. Meh, we'll see. Anyways, let me know what you guys think! Laters~! ^^

-Sally White


	2. Trial 2: The Escape

Hey, guys! I'm back with another installation of this RP-turned-story. I'm actually surprised that you all like it. But I'm also really glad, because this is one of my favorite RPs that I'm doing right now. I have a favor to ask, though. If you all like this one so much, then could you please go read and review my other RP-turned-story Best Druh? I promise you guys that it's just as cute and sweet as this one. ^^ But anyways, on with the next part!

Disclaimer and Dedication are in the first chapter.

**Trials**

**By: Sally White**

**Trial 2: The Escape**

Over the next few weeks, Natalya would come to Alfred's complex every night. The two became close friends, and she confided everything in him. But she still didn't tell him everything. Like her starving herself on purpose before. Or just how badly Ivan would hurt her every day. And she still wouldn't let him to go the authorities like he wanted to. She just couldn't risk him getting hurt by her brother like that...

But, one week, more of the Russian Braginsky family came overseas to visit them, and it became impossible for Natalya to escape to go visit Alfred. It made her sad, because she missed her friend dearly. And Ivan was beginning to get more violent...and she had no way to escape...

Alfred was happier than he had ever been during those weeks. He was really helping someone and it was showing. Though, he wished she would let him to go the authorities about Ivan, he was glad that she was at least getting help from him in some way. At least she wasn't stuck in the house at night by herself. At least she had him.

But when she didn't show up, he began to worry. Why wasn't she coming over? Was she okay? He wanted to go check on her, but knew that wouldn't be a good idea. He could get hurt himself and that would be no help to her. So, every night, he sat by the window in hopes that she would come before just giving up and going to bed.

One night, the relatives finally left. Natalya was so relieved. Finally, she could get away. She could go see Alfred again! She had missed her friend so much, and she needed someone to talk to. She was starting to get so scared...

She was just getting ready to leave the house when she heard a voice. "Natalya? Where are you going?"

She froze, then turned around slowly. Ivan stood there, a fake smile on his face. "I'll ask again, sestra. Where are you going?"

"N-nowhere," she stammered, then cursed herself for her mistake.

"Nyet. You are going out to see a man, aren't you?" Ivan demanded, suddenly angry.

"Nyet," she pleaded, cowering. "Ivan...braht...pazhalsta!"

But Ivan didn't listen. Instead, he began to hit and kick her, calling her names in Russian. Then...he brought out his pipe and began to beat her with that. He smashed her shoulder and knee, cracking the bones. She just barely managed to escape, running the whole way to Alfred's place.

"Alfred!" she cried out, pounding on the glass. She was sobbing. "Pazhalsta!"

Alfred had already gone to bed for the night and was startled awake by the pounding on the glass. He got up and went to the window, instantly realizing something was wrong. He opened the window and helped her in, bringing her to the bed and sitting her down.

"Oh my god. Oh my god what happened? Are you alright? Okay stupid question. Where does it hurt? Come on Natalya just tell me where it hurts. You're okay. You're okay now, you're safe."

Natalya stumbled in, still sobbing. She threw herself at him, clinging to him as he brought her over to the bed. "Ivan...hit me...kicked me...pipe...! Oh Alfred, I thought that I was going to die!" she sobbed into his chest, blood pouring from a cut above her eye...the same one from before, the scar now reopened and gushing blood.

She clung to the man who had become her dearest friend, clinging to him as though she would die if she let go. She needed him right now. She needed him so badly. But, eventually, the blood loss caught up with her, and she passed out in his arms.

"Oh my god," Alfred said as he looked her over, seeing all the fresh cuts and bruises. "Natalya? Nat!" he called when she passed out in his arms. "Shit," he swore as he carried her to the living room, grabbing the first aid kit on the way. He was going to bring her to the hospital, but what if Ivan found her there?

He cleaned and bandaged the wound and all the other wounds that seemed to litter her body. He did his best to stop the bleeding and prevent infection with the alcohol. When he was done, he pulled a blanket over her and knelt down next to the couch, watching her with the phone nearby. He didn't want to take her to the hospital, but should anything happen, he knew that was his only other option.

As she slept, Natalya only had nightmares. Over and over again, nightmares of Ivan beating her again and again and again. It was...terrible. Horrifying. She was hyperventilating in her sleep. She was so scared...She didn't know what to do! She wanted out...she wanted out... "Let me go!" she screamed, jerking up to a sitting position, waking up. She cried out, grabbing her shoulder and knee where Ivan had cracked her bones with his pipe.

She was whimpering with pain. It hurt so much! "Someone pazhalsta help me," she whimpered, starting to cry again.

Alfred stayed up with her all night, holding her hand and staying close to her. He wanted her to know that he was there for her no matter what. He knew she was having nightmares and held onto her hand whenever it became overly obvious.

"Hey... Hey!" Alfred called when she started to hyperventilate. Alfred jumped up when she jerked and wrapped her arms around her. "Shh, Shh. It's okay. It's okay. I'm here," he said gently. "I know it hurts. I know. Relax, you're safe now."

"Oh, Alfred," Natalya gasped, clinging to him once again. "Ivan...he hurt me, Alfred! He beats me! He beats me because I won't marry him! Alfred, I'm so scared! I'm so scared that he's going to kill me!" She was sobbing again. "I don't have a choice, do I? I'm going to have to marry him, aren't I? If I don't, he'll kill me and he'll kill everyone who tries to get close to me!"

She clung to him, her only friend in the world, sobbing and baring her heart. "I refused to eat before! I thought that maybe, if I was thin, the family would love me and finally stop Ivan. But nothing ever worked! Nothing ever worked! They let him hurt me!" She sobbed into his chest, terrified.

Alfred pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. Gently, he rubbed her back while he listened to her sob her little heart out. He didn't speak or make any noise while she let everything out and instead just rubbed her back as gently as he could.

"Shh," he eventually said. "You do have a choice. Everyone has a choice. You have the opportunity to say no. I'm giving that to you. He doesn't know where you are and he doesn't know where you go, so how about you come live with me?" Alfred suggested. "You don't have to say yes or no now. For now, I really just want you to rest. You're hurt and injured. I almost took you to the hospital but I afraid he'd find you there."

"Da," Natalya said immediately, no hesitation in her voice. "I will live with you. I-I want to live with you." She cuddled close to him, hoping that he would cuddle her back. She hadn't been cuddled in so long...if she had ever been cuddled. She couldn't remember right now.

"I like it here," she said softly. "It's nice. Warm. Safe..." She clung to Alfred. "I-I feel safe here. I've never felt safe anywhere in my life. Pazhalsta...let me live with you," she begged softly.

Alfred wrapped his arms around her and held her close, rocking her back and forth gently. He smiled some when she said yes, glad that she would. He wanted to help her and keep her safe, and he felt this was the best way to do so.

"Come on, I'll take you to the bedroom and you can get some real sleep." He gently picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, laying her down on the bed. "Sleep as long and late as you want okay? I'm off work tomorrow."

Natalya clung to Alfred when he carried her, feeling so safe in his arms. She had a miniature panic attack when he made to leave. "No! Don't go! Stay here. Stay with me. Just for tonight. Pazhalsta?" She knew that this request was a bit inappropriate, but she didn't want to be alone tonight.

Natalya was honestly terrified of the nightmares that were sure to wake her tonight. She knew how bad her nightmares could get, especially after a rough beating. She just didn't want to be alone. She wanted Alfred there. Her savior. Her hero.

Alfred looked down at her and smiled some, nodding. Of course, no one would want to be alone after what she had gone through. He nodded and laid down in the full sized bed and smiled over at her.

"I'm right here," he smiled. "I won't leave, promise. Just relax okay? You need your rest. Sleep as late as you want."

Natalya cuddled close to Alfred as he laid down beside her. She winched a little when she bumped her shoulder and then her knee. Oh, they hurt! Then she remembered how those had been the spots that Ivan had bashed with his pipe. Even though she didn't want to worry him, Natalya decided to tell Alfred.

"Alfred, Ivan hit me with his pipe on my shoulder and on my knee," she whispered. "I-I think he cracked the bones. They really hurt...I may need to go to the hospital tomorrow..." She bit her lip, really not liking this idea.

Alfred looked her over and could tell where Ivan had hit her. The areas were black and blue and didn't look too good. Alfred knew they would need to go to the hospital, but like Natalya, he wasn't so sure that was a good idea.

"If you think we need to go, then we'll go," he said. "I don't want you in pain. And if anything happens, I'll be by you side to protect you. Do you think you can fall asleep, or do you need some pills for the pain?"

"I think I need some pain pills," Natalya admitted, but she hated admitting it. She felt so weak... Why, oh, why couldn't she have just fended off Ivan herself. She buried her face in Alfred's chest.

"I'm so sorry," she said softly, her voice almost a whimper. "I'm so weak...I always need others to save me. I can't do anything right...I'm so pathetic..." She sniffled, really believing all of Ivan's mean, nasty words that he said to her. All she wanted was to be loved...why, oh, why was she so unworthy of love?...

"I'll get you some, then. I think I have some that double as a sleep aid to help knock you out," he said and looked down at her in surprise when she hid her face in his chest. Sighing, he shook his head and rubbed her back gently.

"Shh, shh... Hey. It's not your fault," Alfred said gently. "And you're not pathetic. I don't think there are many people who could take a beating from a pipe and still be okay. You just need some help right now, but soon you'll be on your feet again."

Natalya looked up at him, her beautiful blue eyes full of tears...and hope. For the first time in her life, she felt hope. This man, this wonderful man...her personal savior, her hero...he was so good to her. And he was going to let her live with him! She vowed to herself to not become a burden to him. She would find a job and everything to help pay rent and such. At this point she would do anything for him.

She nodded, letting him go reluctantly. "Da, spasiba," she said softly, then winced. "I-I think that I could do with those pain pills not, pazhalsta." She was really hurting.

"Hey, now, don't cry," Alfred said kindly. He loved this feeling of mattering to someone. This feeling of being able to make a difference in her life and help her out when she needed it most. He loved being able to offer her a place to live and a chance to free herself from the evilness that she had always been surrounded by.

He nodded and stood, quickly going to the bathroom and returning with a bottle of night time pain relief and a cup of water. "Here, take these," he told her.

Natalya took them from him, smiling gratefully at him. She took the pills, washing them down with the water. Amazingly, she felt better as soon as they reached her stomach. The pain had now dulled to a minor throbbing. She smiled at Alfred again. "Spasiba." She yawned suddenly realizing how tired she was.

"I haven't slept much this past week," she confessed to the man. "I was too afraid that Ivan would come into my room at night and try to...well, you know what, never mind," she murmured, laying down again. She looked up at him. "Hold me?" she asked meekly.

"You're welcome," he said and laughed a bit when she yawned. "See, told you those pills act as a sleep aid as well. You'll be asleep in no time." He was ready to believe this explanation at first, but after she explained why she had not slept much, he could easily see that was the main reason she was so tired now.

"Well, don't worry. I promise, I'd never take advantage of you," he said honestly and then nodded with a gently smile and wrapped his arms around her. "You're safe here, I promise."

Natalya laughed when he said that, nuzzling her nose against his chest. "I know that, Alfred," she murmured. "Do you think I would ask you to sleep with me if I didn't?" Then she blushed. "A-and I don't meant like that! Though you probably knew that, too..."

She wondered why she was acting like this and decided to blame her loopiness on the pain pills. Wow, they were really doing their job. It was really nice. She yawned, nuzzling closer to him. "Good night," she murmured, then through her sleepy haze she added, "Ya tebya lyublyu," not stopping to consider that he didn't know what that meant or if she really meant it right now. Then she was asleep.

Alfred laughed and smiled. "Nah, I got ya," he said, though he didn't notice the faint color that touched his cheeks when she mentioned that. He was just happy to have her here and know she was finally safe.

"Night... hm?" He looked down at her, but she was already asleep. He had no idea what those last words meant, but figured it was another kind of goodnight or something. He laid awake for a little bit longer before eventually falling asleep himself.

That night, Natalya had no nightmares. Instead, she had good dreams for once. She dreamed of Alfred, of his gleaming eyes and amazing smile. His infectious laugh and lovely hair. She dreamed of them going on walks in the park, of candle-lit dinners and dancing. She woke up blushing, and in his arms still. She quickly slid away from him, wincing. Oh, right, the pain.

She made her way to the bathroom, forgetting to close the door. She pried her shirt off, wanting to look at her shoulder, leaving her in her tan-colored bra. The sight almost made her sick. The skin was black and blue and purple, the area swollen and puffy. She had to look away. 'So ugly!' was all she could think, as the tears began to fall down her cheeks yet again.

Alfred slept on for another few minutes after she had gotten up and opened his eyes to find that she wasn't there. He was a bit confused, but more so worried, so he got up to go find her. He was worried she wouldn't be able to walk right with the knee, or that she would fall or something. That was just him being over protective, though. He always was over his friends.

He glanced into the bathroom and saw her there, but what caught his eye was the swollen black and blue shoulder. He went in quickly and put a hand on her non-bruised shoulder. "Oh shit, that doesn't look good," he said and looked at her, believing the tears to be from the pain. "Shh, don't cry. Come on, let's get you to a hospital."

"It's so ugly," she whispered softly, one of her hands gripping the counter. Ivan had truly done it this time. He had made her as undesirable as she thought she was. "So ugly..." She clenched the counted harder to where it was starting to hurt. She hated this...she hated being ugly.

Natalya looked at Alfred and nodded, blinking away her tears. "Hospital. Da. That's a good idea right now. I don't think I can take my pants off. They'll have to cut them off to get to my knee, if it's as swollen as my shoulder..."

"Well, it's swollen and black and blue. Of-" He stopped himself when he saw her clutch the counter and rubbed her back. "Hey, hey," he said softly. "Sure the bruise looks pretty nasty, but you're still really pretty. He might have gotten your knee and shoulder, but he didn't get your pretty face," he said with a smile.

"Come on." He squeezed her hand and went to the kitchen to get his car keys. "Do you want more pain pills before you go?" he called.

"Nyet, pazhalsta," she called, struggling to get her shirt back on. It was actually really hard to do one-handed! It was also very frustrating. She growled as she fought with her shirt, until she finally just gave up.

"Alfred?" Natalya called, a blush coming to her cheeks. "Could you please come and help me? I can't seem to get my shirt back on..."

"Of course," Alfred said and came over with a small smile in response to her red cheeks. "Relax, I know it's swollen and I know it hurts, so let me help. If I hurt you, just say so."

He took the shirt and stretched the head of it to fit over her, then took her injured arm and tried to fit in carefully through the sleeve. He did it slowly and carefully, so he could stop if he did end up hurting her.

Natalya winced as he did this, but made no move to complain. After all, she owed him her life, if not more. He meant so much to her. She knew now that she would anything for him, if not more.

"Spasiba," she thanked him quietly, then she tried to walk out of the bathroom. Unfortunately for her, her knee decided to give out at that moment, and she cried out as she went falling to the floor.

"Mhmm." Alfred smiled and jumped when he heard her cry out. He hurried to her and helped her up. "Okay, no walking," he said and lifted her up all the way. "So, I'll just have to carry you, okay?"

He smiled at her as he carried her out of the room and grabbed his keys again. "I'm sure it's nothing too bad. You might need crutches, though. Thankfully, it's a one story condo!"

Natalya was blushing as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Spasiba, Alfred," she said softly as he carried her to his car. The ride to the hospital wasn't that bad, but when they got there it was all chaos. The nurses wanted to call her family, as did the doctor, and Alfred got his first glimpse of Natalya's temper as she threw a fit about them absolutely not allowed to call the Braginsky's. In the end, the doctor just had to put her shoulder and knee in a cast and send them on their way with some over-the-counter pain meds.

On the ride back, Natalya was silent, embarrassed by her fit now that she was thinking straight. She wondered how badly Alfred thought of her now. When they got back to the complex, Natalya locked herself in the bathroom and refused to come out, still ashamed of herself.

Alfred nodded and drove her to the hospital where he was extremely taken aback by her temper. At first he attributed it to the pain, and that the stress of knowing her family might be called coupled with the pain from her knee and shoulder, but he later realized this was what happened when you crossed her. Honestly, he admired her for how she wouldn't let the doctors just do whatever they wanted.

But when they got back and Natalya locked herself in the bathroom, Alfred did everything he could to try to get her out. "Nat, come on," he said. "Doc said you need to rest. Come on, come relax on the couch and I'll get you some ice cream or something... Please?"

"Nyet," Natalya called back, her voice breaking. She was sitting on the toilet seat cover, her face in her hands. She wasn't just embarrassed anymore; no, now she was terrified. She was starting to realize again just how much danger she was putting Alfred in. If Ivan found out that he was housing her...she shuddered.

She knew that Alfred was worried, but she hated this. She hated putting others in danger for her sake. She wanted to protect Alfred. Hadn't she vowed to protect him? She let out a half-sob sound. What was she going to do?...

"Natalya..." Alfred said in a begging tone. He sighed and sat down next to the bathroom door. Looks like he wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. He hated this, hearing her cry and not being able to comfort her. What could he say besides asking her to come out of the bathroom.

"Nat, come on. I'm not mad. You told those doctors who's boss and we got what we came there for. You need to relax. You're too stressed and that can't be good for ya. Come on, please?" He had no idea what else was going through her mind at the moment and attributed it all to what had happened at the hospital.

"He's going to kill you!" Natalya wailed. "Ivan will kill you, and then he'll beat the crud of me to punish me more! I don't want him to hurt you, Alfred! If he hurts you, I'll be hurt even more! I don't...I don't want to live without you! You're my dearest friend, my only friend, and I...I'm so scared!"

She buried her face in her hands more, sobbing at this point. She didn't know what to do. She had doomed them, she was sure. She had doomed Alfred, the only person in the world who gave a darn about him. "I'm so sorry, Alfred. I should have never dragged you into this!"

"Natalya..." Alfred said softly, sighing as he looked at the door. "Shh, come on. No he won't. He won't hurt you or me. Not now, not ever. I won't let it happen, Nat, you've gotta believe me," he said using yet another pleading tone with her.

"I wanted to be dragged into this," he said. "I offered to help you. I know what I'm getting myself into and I don't care. You're my dearest friend too and I'll do whatever it takes to protect you..." He thought for a moment before an idea crossed his mind. "What if we moved?" he asked. "Me and you, move to a different city in a different state?"

"But you love your job here," Natalya protested. "Alfred, I can't let you do that! Especially not for me. I don't deserve it." She shook her head in disbelief. Could this man be any more wonderful? She didn't think so.

She opened the door finally, sinking down onto the floor beside him. She took his face in her hands, stroking his cheeks. "Alfred, listen to me. I can't let you do that. You love your job here, I know you do. You're a hero, Alfred." She smiled softly. "You're my hero. And you always will be. But..." She sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I'll just move on my own. But I can't let you give all of this up for me."

Alfred shrugged some. Sure, he loved his job, but it wasn't where he worked, it was what he did that he loved. He could just ask to be transferred, and if that didn't work, he could easily get a job somewhere else.

He smiled when she finally came out and placed his hands on hers. "I want to do that," he said softly. "I want to help you, and you do deserve it. I can easily get a job somewhere else. I could work anywhere and be happy, and I'll only be happy if I know you're safe."

Natalya stared into his eyes for a while. "Oh, Alfred..." This man...how wonderful he was. How kind, how caring, how self-sacrificing... All the things that she had ever wanted in a man. And now he was allowing her to life in his home, eat his food, even move...all for her! She just couldn't believe that she was really this lucky.

She pulled Alfred to her in a hug, as best as she could manage with a cast on her shoulder. She closed her eye and relaxed against him. She wanted to say something, but she had no idea what she could say to express the extent of her gratitude to him. She was just so happy...so content.

Alfred smiled gently at her and hugged her back happily. "I'll do it. Tomorrow, I'll request for a transfer and leave the station, and get a job somewhere else. And then we'll move far away and never have to worry about this again." At least, he hoped they wouldn't ever have to worry about this again...

He was really growing attached to Natalya. He couldn't help himself. She was perfect. Funny, nice, pretty... And she just needed a little saving. But Alfred was a hero, even if only a self-proclaimed one.

**To Be Continued…**

Braht = brother

Ya tebya lyublyu = I love you

Well, that's it for this part. Like I said last time, this RP is LONG. This part is only the start of page 19 of the RP, and it's up to like 267 pages. And it's still going! But I love it. Anyways, let me know what you thought of this part. If you have any questions, feel free to message me about it. Laters~

-Sally White


	3. Trial 3: The Confession

Hey, guys! Because of all the reviews I've been getting, I decided to go ahead and give you all another installment early! Woo! ^^ I'm just in a very good mood right now, too. I just want to thank you all for the reviews. It means a lot to me, and I'm really glad that you all are enjoying this RP-turned-story. It's a lot of fun! Now, just to warn you, this one is a little shorter than the first two. But! This installment is also full of funniness and fluff! So ready yourselves for some cuteness~!

Disclaimer and Dedication are in the first chapter.

**Trials**

**By: Sally White**

**Trial 3: The Confession**

A few weeks later, everything was set in stone. Alfred did his best to keep Natalya hidden and felt bad when he suggested she not go out of the house. He didn't want to trap her more than she had already was, and he wanted her to be more free. But once they moved... Once everything was done, it would be okay.

Alfred found another condo in another city a couple of states away. It was a bit different, but still nice, and this one had two bedrooms which was nice. He was happy to move and as it turned out, he made more money at the new station than he had at the old one.

Natalya couldn't remember a time when she had been so happy. Living with Alfred was a dream. And the Braginsky's couldn't get to her anymore. She was so, so glad. Alfred was so dear, so kind to her. He made her laugh and smile. She felt safe, and at peace with herself. She had started to gain weight, and her bruised had faded completely. The casts had been taken off, too. The only evidence was the scar right below her hairline, but her bangs usually covered it.

But now she had a new problem...one that she had no idea how to cope with. She found that she was...falling in love with Alfred. The feeling was so new to her, and it frightened her a little bit. At the same time, though, she wanted to shout it out to the world that she had found a good man. But...she didn't know if he felt the same towards her...and she didn't know how to tell, either...

Alfred was so happy when he started to see her gain weight and watched as the bruises and casts disappeared. She smiled more and... wow her smile was beautiful. Every day he grew more and more attached to her and eventually.. He realized that he loved her. Yes, the "L" word. Yes, he knew it was true. He'd never felt this way about a friend. He loved her, but he didn't know if she loved him back, or if she was ready for the feeling of love.

So, he beat around the bush like any man would do. He bought her flowers sometimes, and chocolates. He always kept a chocolate cake in the fridge for her, since she had been so excited to have chocolate that night at his old house. He took her out to dinner sometimes, and often went walking in the park when it wasn't too cold. But never did he actually tell her how he felt.

Natalya was tired of this feeling just welling up inside of her with no outlet. So, one random day, she decided that she was going to tell him how she felt. She began to make preparations as soon as he left for work. She planned the music, the food, the candles, everything. At around noon, she began to try to cook, and play the music, and light the candles.

Unfortunately, Natalya had forgotten how inept she was at all of these things. By the time Alfred came home, the CD was skipping, the food was either under or overdone, and the candles kept falling over and catching something on fire. She was crying from both frustration and embarrassment by the time Alfred came home and saw all of this.

Alfred sighed as he sat in his patrol car at work. He didn't know how much longer he could go without telling her exactly how he felt. He wanted to open up to her, but he was afraid of overwhelming her, and he was also afraid he would get rejected. And that would make living together much more awkward than it needed to be.

He came home that night with a bunch of roses, instead of the usual lilies and daisies. He was going to tell her once and for all and hope for the best. He entered the home and called out as usual, "I'm home!"

Natalya was still trying to clean up her disaster of an attempt of being romantic when he came home. The food had been thrown into the trash or stuffed down the garbage disposal, the CD had been taken out, and she was in the process of trying to clean up the mess from the candles. The apartment smell of burned things and nasty food. It was so embarrassing.

She jumped when she heard him call out, actually falling over the coffee table with a yelp. Unfortunately for her, the last candle had not been out, and it caught her skirts on fire. She cried out and tried to put it out, now even more embarrassed. Why, oh, why couldn't she be graceful!

Alfred blinked as the smell entered his nose and frowned a little, wondering what in the world had happened. He then smelled something burning and dropped the roses when she shouted. "Natalya!" he called, grabbing the hose from the sink and spraying her clothes with it.

The dinner was a complete disaster now, and the scene looked like something out of a bad comedy. The kitchen as well as both Alfred and Natalya were soaked, the food was ruined, and the roses had been trampled in the process.

Natalya covered her face with her hands. The night was ruined. She had ruined it. There was no way to save it now. Everything was ruined. And now she was soaked. "I'm so sorry," she moaned to Alfred. "This wasn't how I wanted this night to go. I'm so inept at being a house care-taker..." She sighed, looking up at him. Her face was red, as were her eyes.

To her surprise, he didn't look angry. He just looked relieved. Natalya took another look around and realized how...funny it all actually was. She looked back at Alfred and burst into laughter, a real true loud laugh that hadn't seen the light of day in almost ten years. It was so wonderful.

Alfred looked at her once the fire had been put out and sighed. When he smelled something burning, he had imagined the worst. But everything seemed alright now, aside from the soaking wet kitchen, the possibly ruined clothes, and the bad smell that lingered in the air. He started to laugh, but not at her. Just out of relief and happiness that everything was alright.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Alfred chuckled and smiled brightly at her. "Just another day in this house, huh? Nothing ever seems to go right, but that's alright."

Natalya nodded, still giggling. Perhaps not all hope was lost. Perhaps she could still tell Alfred that she loved him. She just...needed to set the mood a little, that was all. She didn't have to go to ridiculous amounts, she realized. That wasn't how Alfred was, and it wasn't how she was, either. They were simple people who were satisfied with simple things.

"How about we order take-out?" she suggested with a smile. "I'll find us a movie to watch tonight. Does that sound okay?" She really hoped that he would agree. It sounded like the king of simplicity that the both of them would need for her confession tonight.

Alfred nodded at the suggestion and laughed a little. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Go get changed and I'll order everything okay? And you can pick the movie, I don't care what we watch." He hugged her and smiled brightly, hesitating, as though he was going to say something, but then he decided against it and instead went to order the food.

He wondered why Natalya had gone to these lengths to try to make dinner. What ever happened to simple mac n' cheese or a heat up meal in the oven? He was confused, but in no way suspicious about all of this.

Natalya decided to just change into shorts and a button up shirt - one of his, so it was huge on her, but she loved it. She came back and gave him a smile before going over to the movies and looking through them. She would peek over her shoulder at him, sighing with longing before looking back at the movies. Alfred had started to look really good lately, and she had seen other women staring at him when they went out. It made her insanely jealous, and she was terrified that she would lose him before she got the chance to confess.

She finally decided on Captain America, since the character reminded her so much of Alfred. She put it in then sat back on the couch and waited for him to get back.

Alfred ordered some Chinese take-out and started to clean up the kitchen a little. He looked down at the roses and sighed. So much for being romantic, but what did it matter anyway? He went to throw them out, but saw that one still looked halfway decent. Well.. it would have to do. He smiled as he went to sit on the couch and passed the rose to her.

"I bought some flowers for ya... But they kinda got trampled." He laughed a little. "So, here's the one little rose that survived. Tough little dude, huh?"

Natalya took the rose and smiled tenderly at it, gently petting it with her hand. "It's perfect, Alfred. Spasiba." She leaned up to kiss his cheek, but slipped on her seat. Instead, her lips landed on the corner of his mouth. She blushed scarlet and quickly pulled away, picking up her food. "W-well, let's just watch the movie, da?" She chuckled nervously.

That had been so close! She had almost blown her cover. She started to shovel the food into her mouth, trying desperately to ignore the blush that stained her cheeks. She started the movie in hopes of distracting herself.

Alfred nodded and smiled. "You're welcome!" he said with a smile and blinked when she kissed the corner of his mouth. He looked down at her and noticed that she seemed a bit fidgety and embarrassed. Alfred turned a bit red and looked away for a moment before taking a deep breath. Now or never... right?

He leaned over and gently cupped her cheek with his hand before kissing her lips softly. He wasn't sure if she wanted this or not, so he kept his lips just barely touching hers, ready to pull away at any moment.

Natalya froze when Alfred's lips touched her's. He...he was...kissing her? Alfred, the handsome hero, was kissing her, Natalya, the plain-looking girl? It blew her mind! But...this was what she wanted. This was what she had been wanting for the past month. And she was not about to let this opportunity slip through her fingers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back just as softly. She was giving him the same opportunity that he was giving her - to back out, if he wanted to. She didn't want to force him.

When she leaned into the kiss, Alfred knew he had done the right thing. He pulled her a bit closer, onto his lap, but the kiss was still friendly and appropriate. He was still testing the waters, though he was sure he knew what she wanted now. He just wasn't ready for anything more than a simple kiss.

He broke the kiss after a few moments and took a breath, looking over at her and smiling some. "I love you."

Natalya's eyes filled with happy tears, and she buried her face in his neck. "Ya tebya lyublyu," she whispered to him in Russian, then felt embarrassed when she remembered that he didn't speak her language. She laughed lightly and said, "It means 'I love you' in Russian."

She was instantly brought back to the moment when she had first said that to him, the night when he had rescued her from her brother when he had beat her with his pipe. Looking back, she realized that that had been the moment when she had fallen in love with him. She smiled against Alfred's skin, cuddling him closer.

Alfred smiled at her and nodded, chuckling when he remembered the words from the night he had saved her. The night he realized he needed to protect her. He didn't fall in love with her until later, but that night he could tell that something was stirring inside him.

"I'm glad." He laughed. "Because this would be /really/ awkward if you didn't," he joked a little bit, but on the inside he couldn't be happier."

She laughed softly when he made the joke, leaning up to kiss his jaw. She was so very happy. Finally, someone other than her brother wanted to be with her. And Ivan couldn't get to him, either. It was like a dream come true. She couldn't believe that she was this lucky.

She finally slid off of his lap and picked her food back up. She leaned against his side, watching the movie, which was now almost over. "I picked this one because he reminds me of you," she told him softly.

Alfred laughed a little and smiled softly at her. "Really?" he asked, his smile growing even wider. He was so excited and happy that he was being likened to Captain America, one of his favorite super heroes of all time.

He hugged her close and smiled happily. Well, this had gone a bit different than planned, but everything ended up alright in the end, and he was extremely grateful for that.

Natalya nodded and giggled, unable to help it. He was just so cute! She leaned up to gently kiss him on the lips again, so happy that she was able to do that now. She was just happy, in general. She couldn't believe that someone as wonderful as Alfred could love someone as plain as her. She told him this.

She looked down after she had told him this, not sure as to how he was going to react. She knew that he didn't like it when she put herself down...but she just couldn't help it, after years of Ivan's verbal abuse.

Alfred smiled at her and kissed her back, also glad that he could kiss and hug and cuddle her whenever he pleased now. They were together, right? Together forever... That's what Alfred was hoping.

He frowned when she asked him her question and sighed, pulling her closer to him. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Plain? Not at all. You're beautiful, Nat, whether you want to admit it to yourself or not."

Natalya looked down, unable to believe him. Beautiful? "I'm not beautiful," she said softly. "Ivan told me so. And braht never lied to me." She sighed, sadly. "No one barely ever looked at me. They always looked at sestra and braht. Braht was beautiful, and sestra had huge...assets," she said, not wanting to say breasts.

She cuddled close to Alfred. "I know that you may think I'm beautiful...but I don't. And I don't know if I ever will be able to..." She reached up and traced the scar that was right under her hairline, the only mark remaining from her years of abuse. She shuddered just thinking about it.

Alfred sighed and kissed her head, and then her scar. "Stop," he said gently. "You are beautiful, whether you wanna admit it or not. Are you really going to believe the man who hurt you? Who gave you that scar, who fractured your knee and shoulder? Who nearly killed you a bunch of times. I know he's your brother, but he is a liar."

He knew she wouldn't believe she was beautiful right off the bat, but he had to keep trying and keep working with her. One day, maybe. One day she might see how wonderful and beautiful she truly was.

Natalya just buried her face into his neck again. He was just so very sweet. It made her blush. He had always been this sweet, she knew. But they had barely been together for 15 minutes and be was already making her feel like a princess again. She almost melted.

"You are the most wonderful man in the world," she murmured against his skin. "You are a hero, Alfred. You're my hero. You always have been, from the first night you let me stay I your home. I never did thank you for that, either."

Alfred smiled some and held her, leaning back as the credits for the movie rolled. He shook his head, not believing that he was the most wonderful dude in the world. He was just a normal guy. He felt anyone would have done the same thing if put in his position.

"You didn't need to thank me. Any decent guy would have helped you out in one way or another," he reasoned and kissed her head. "But I'm glad it was me because I got a perfect girl outta it!"

Natalya shook her head, chuckling at him. After growing up in such a different culture, full of harshness and violence, this kind of atmosphere absolutely astounded her. She couldn't believe that people were just this nice naturally. It was amazing to her.

"You're such a good guy," she told him. "I'm so lucky that I found you, and not some other person." She leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"I'm lucky I found you too. I'm so lucky to have you as a lover, but I'm even more lucky that we found each other because you're safe now. We live in a nice city, I make a good amount of money, and I'm still able to spend a bunch of time with you."

He truly was lucky. He couldn't wait for this relationship to really take off. And honestly, they should have gotten together a while before now, so it was like they'd been dating for a while. They just never knew it.

**To Be Continued…**

Oh gosh, I'd forgotten just how fluffy this part was! But it was so much fun to RP~ Anyways, please leave a review, and I'll see you all in the next installment~! Laters~

-Sally White


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